Cheese Blintzes

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/28/24
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Rest Time: 30 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 12 blintzes

This recipe for cheese blintzes is a similar type of pancake as French crepes, Polish nalesniki, Hungarian palacsinta, and Serbian palacinke. 

A plate of Jewish cheese blintzes, served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Unlike the thick, fluffy traditional pancakes that Americans have come to love and enjoy for breakfast, these pancakes are very thin and can be stuffed with various sweet or savory fillings, making them a unique vehicle for a variety of flavors. Ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they can be as filling as you make them.

Due to their texture, they can be made ahead of time and frozen before use. Just complete all of the steps up through filling them, but make sure to skip frying. When you're ready to enjoy them, fry them in butter while still frozen.

If you don't want to use ricotta cheese but can't find dry curd cheese, you might want to try making your own farmer's cheese from scratch. It's easier than you might think!

What You'll Need To Make This Blintzes Recipe
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set
A Mixing Bowl
Made In Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan
A Frying Pan
Oxo Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
A Sturdy Whisk

“These Blintzes are a delightful mix of subtle sweetness and smooth savoriness, perfect when served with some fresh raspberries. As long as you use a gentle touch, the folding process is relatively stress-free. So just make sure not to rip your pancakes and you’ll have an easy time" —Noah Velush-Rogers

A cheese blintze cut in half and resting on a plate
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Blintzes

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, for frying

For the Filling

  • 1 pound dry curd ricotta, or farmer's cheese, at room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, more to taste

  • Sour cream, for garnish

  • Fresh or canned fruit, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Blintzes

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make Jewish cheese blintzes

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a medium bowl, beat together 4 large eggs (at room temperature), 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup all-purpose flour until well combined. Don't over-beat. It's okay if small particles of flour remain as they will be absorbed during the resting period.

    Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

    A bowl of crepe batter, being whisked together

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat a small skillet (about 7 inches in diameter) on medium and add a pat of unsalted butter.

    A skillet with a pad of butter, melting and bubbling

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Whisk the batter until smooth. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl it around so it forms a very thin layer. Make sure not to let it brown, adjusting the heat as necessary. The pancake should be very thin, like a crepe. If the batter is too thick to spread well in the pan, whisk in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.

    A skillet with a thin, even layer of crepe batter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.

    A skillet with a flipped crepe

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Then, turn the blintz out onto a clean kitchen towel.

    A thin, cooked crepe on a kitchen towel

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Repeat with the remaining unsalted butter and batter, staggering the crepes on top of each other.

    A stack of cooked crepes on a kitchen towel

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Filling and Assemble

  1. In a large bowl, mix together 1 pound dry curd ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted), 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until well combined.

    A large bowl of cheese blintz filling

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. To assemble, place one blintz crepe on a work surface and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in a line close to the edge nearest to you.

    A cooked crepe on a cutting board, with a small dollop of cheese filling near the bottom of the crepe

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Fold letter-style.

    A cooked crepe on a cutting board, with a dollop of cheese filling towards the bottom, with the left and right sides folded over towards the middle

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Roll up and away from you. Continue with the remaining blintz crepes and filling.

    A cutting board with a folded up cheese blintz

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. On medium-low heat, fry the filled blintzes in butter as needed on both sides until golden brown.

    A pan with four cheese blintzes cooking in melted butter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Serve with optional sour cream and/or fresh or canned fruit toppings.

    A plate of Jewish cheese blintzes served with raspberry sauce and fresh berries

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
584 Calories
44g Fat
30g Carbs
17g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 584
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g 56%
Saturated Fat 26g 129%
Cholesterol 297mg 99%
Sodium 327mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 271mg 21%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 218mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)